The Star Wars cinematic canon is currently undergoing a major overhaul as Disney has outlined a variety of movies all tied into that infamous galaxy far, far away. The first out of the gate is scheduled this December in the shape of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which will maintain the central storyline of the franchise, picking up the plot sometime after Return of the Jedi. After that, fans of the force will have one year until Gareth Edwards’ spinoff flick arrives – a film that’s still shrouded in mystery.
As we reported this morning, Edwards’ film suffered a blow over the weekend when original scribe Gary Whitta departed the project. His exit appeared to be a somewhat harmonious event, as the writer described his time in the Star Wars universe as “by far the most rewarding period of my entire career.” The question now is, who’s going to pick up where Whitta left off?
According to a report from /Film, that person is none other than Simon Kinberg. A familiar name to genre geeks, Kinberg’s alliance to Lucasfilm and Star Wars in particular is already prolific. He’s serving as a consultant on The Force Awakens, provided producer and writer credits to Star Wars Rebels and as /Film points out, has previously penned a Star Wars spinoff movie. His credentials, and enthusiasm, make him the perfect candidate for the position. Years ago his name was linked to a standalone flick with Josh Trank eyed up for the director’s chair, but it’s unknown if that idea was the one nurtured by Edwards and Whitta.
If that is the case, Kinberg’s familiarity with the story/script may have been the deciding factor. From what’s been previously hinted, this first Star Wars standalone film could revolve around a bunch of bounty hunters who plot to steal the schematics for the Death Star. Or, it might be a Han Solo spin-off starring Aaron Paul.
Tell us, which Star Wars character do you think Kinberg should be writing about?
